A PETITION to get a park and ride facility fitted at Hag Fold railway station has been presented to the Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham.

Former Atherton councillor Norman Bradbury, Cllr Karen Aldred and Cllr Mark Aldred handed the document which attracted 1,260 signatures to the former Leigh MP at his Question Time event in Wigan.

The plans propose spare land at the back of the station owned by Wigan Council to be developed into a car park.

The proposals also include a request for train services between Manchester and Southport to stop at Hag Fold which would provide an extra two trains an hour at the station and potentially reduce the pressure on Atherton Central’s parking facilities.

The extra train services would also give Hag Fold residents a better opportunity to travel to Manchester and Wigan for work and leisure.

When given the petition, Mr Burnham said he would consider the plans after making a site inspection.

It was thought that when the Guided Busway was built, there would be less demand on parking spaces at the railway stations in Atherton but they have still proven to be limited.